COLUMBUS – With Ohio State denied a playoff berth despite its 12-1 record and repeat Big Ten title, the Rose Bowl has been described as a consolation prize. A consolation prize with the most incredible of vistas, but a consolation prize.

Actually, it's a farewell party.

The Buckeyes are saying goodbye to their legendary — yes, legendary — head coach.

The Buckeyes are saying goodbye to six impactful seniors, at least one early departee on defense and probably the best quarterback, statistically speaking, in school history.

They are likely also saying goodbye — of should we say, good riddance — to their tailback shuffle.

On paper, alternating sophomore J.K. Dobbins and junior Mike Weber each series has worked. They collectively have rushed for 1,887 yards and 14 touchdowns heading into OSU's New Year's Day matchup with Pac-12 champion Washington.

Offensive balance was out of whack most of the season. There was a five-game stretch where the Buckeyes didn't even crack 160 yards rushing, bottoming out with back-to-back games under 100 against Minnesota and Purdue — two teams not exactly known for their vaunted defenses.

The fact that Dwayne Haskins threw the ball 73 times in that incomprehensible 49-20 loss to Purdue speaks volumes.

Alternating tailbacks did neither any favors, as far as getting into a rhythm. Did both deserve to play? Based on the 1,000-yard seasons each has on his resume, yes. But the workload should have been more of a 70-30 split for Dobbins. He's spectacular; Weber is serviceable. Dobbins is the bigger home run threat. Weber is more prone to fumbling.

With Weber banged up, Dobbins rushed for 203 yards and a touchdown on 37 carries in the 52-51 overtime win at Maryland. It was one of the few times he looked like the same back who set the school's freshman record in 2017, and a big reason was that the tailback time share was scrapped that week.

Weber is moving on after the Rose Bowl, forgoing his senior season to turn pro. He's probably a mid-round pick, but given his history of injuries, he's making a smart decision. Although he's only shown his talent in flashes, he's rushed for 2,580 yard and 24 touchdowns for the Buckeyes.

The best thing Dobbins and Weber have done, in tandem, is keep their egos in check. They've never complained, always said the right thing about sharing a load they both, privately, wanted to carry.

“I am not a selfish person," Dobbins said a couple of weeks ago. "I am a team player first. Whatever the team needs to do to win a game, that’s what we’re going to do. If it’s him getting 30 carries and I get five, and if we win, I'm fine with it.”

If there's only one more game of tag-team tailback, it needs to be a big one.

The Buckeyes went back to relying primarily on the pass in resounding wins over Michigan and Northwestern, the latter in the Big Ten Championship Game. But Washington could pose a major threat to OSU's aerial shenanigans.

The Huskies have won four straight and have given up just 18 points over their last two games. After not allowing a passing touchdown in a 28-15 win over Washington State in the Apple Cup, UW didn't give up a touchdown in its 10-3 win over Utah for the Pac-12 title.

Washington is the only team this season to hold Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew without a passing TD. The Huskies have allowed only nine touchdowns through the air, tied for fourth-fewest in the country. Leading the secondary are cornerbacks Jordan Miller (2 interceptions, 5 breakups) and Myles Bryant (55 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 5 breakups, one forced fumble).

Ohio State will likely need to run the ball effectively to keep the UW defense honest and help free the receivers.

"I did what I could with the opportunities I had, and I just want to finish strong, you know?" Weber said. "You start it, got to finish it.”

Key matchup

Washington tailback Myles Gaskin vs. the OSU run defense.

We've already discussed Ohio State's running attack versus a stout Washington defense, so let's flip the script. Gaskin is as accomplished a back as the Buckeyes have seen this season. He's rushed for 1,147 yards and 10 TDs in 11 games, in the process becoming Washington's all-time leading rusher. He's been at his best of late, rushing for 524 yards and 5 TDs in his last four games.

OSU's season-long issues against the run have been well-documented. No need to revisit the gory numbers. If the Buckeyes can match the solid effort they had against Michigan and force Washington to be one-dimensional, it could be a long day for the Huskies.

Keys to victory

Ohio State: Convert on third down

Even though the Huskies won their second Pac-12 championship under coach Chris Petersen and rank No. 5 in scoring defense and No. 12 in total defense, they've had trouble getting off the field on third down, ranking No. 65 in that department. Ohio State ranks No. 10 in the FBS with a 48.2 third down conversion rate and Haskins has a 163.4 passer rating in those situations.

Washington: Quarterback play

Jake Browning has had an up-and-down four years with the Huskies and has never recaptured the form that led the Huskies to the playoffs in 2016. Browning had just one 300-yard game and four games without an interception in 2018.